The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-04
THAT COWARD"
BE Was Brave to Suffer. to Dare
and to Do.

On the river line of Missouri, in 1861,
lived two families, small farmers, and
both without paternal heads or guides.
Dugal Moore, with his aged mother,
constituted the one. Allan Dean, with
mother and sister, held the other, and
neighboring homestead.
Both young men were not yet in their
majority when the stirring events of
secession racked the Union. They had
been close friends since boyhood, and
all the surrounding country well knew
that Dugal and pretty Jennie Dean.
Aliens young sister, were and had
been devoted lovers since they were old
enough to know the meaning of such a
word; likewise that the two farms were
to be united, as well rs the lovers, so
soon as things became more settled. J"
But things became more and more
unsettled, and when the clash of war
eventually caused all to realize that
strife was fixed and inevitable fact,
then the trouble of the expectant pair
grew, to them, far darker than the
clouds that lowered over our land. For
Dugal had the fixedness of his own
opinions, and from the first he had
been an out-spoken candidate of the
Union. while Allen. hOt-headed, as
strongly espoused the cause of the
South.
When the call of the drums reused
men to arms, Allen was among the
first to enlist under the Confederate
fiag. Everybody expected that Dugal
would be equally prompt to fight for the
Stars and Stripes. But Dugal made no
sign. He had carefully weighed his
duty to his country and to the old
mother who had long overtaxed her
strength to support him in his helpless
ness; if he left her she must starve; and
to all the entreaties, demands and
threats of those whose principles he
supported. his answer was simply:
Il can not leave my mother"
Nanny calf" they called him. and
many other HARD names.
They promised to see that his mother
should want for nothing. but he, having
the long, clear head of his Scotch
ancestry, could easily see what such
promises were worth, when all about
him were poor as himself and when the
whole country was quickly becoming
depOpulaIed of every available man, on
one side or the other. So he stuck to
his resolution. and in little time was
really the only able-boGied young man
in his section.
And all secuted him and avoided him,
and with finger and tongue pointed him
out as That Coward"
1t was hard on a young fellow of
twenty, who had before been so popular
for those feats of strength and agility
that are there so highly estimated, and
who had been respected so greatly for
his common sense that his elders often
sought and were guided by his advice.
And, worse than all, Jennie Dean cast
him off. She could and probably would
have sided with him politically, but to
gloried called "that coward" was far
too much for a girl of that section to
bear, and she held her head higher
from him than all others.
Dugal stood this even without remon.
STRANGE, though no one ever knew how
deep the iron entered the soul. He
worked like slave. and better, with
his surplus and hands he was always
ready to aid the many poor women who
then stood badly in need of help, and
though even those who received his
bounty said hewas only trying to curry
favor, yet this, with scornfui con-
tempt of Union parties who visited this
section, saved him from violence and
death.
In the latter part of 1862 Jessie Dean
was reused one night by a fow clods
thrown against the little window of tie
room in which she slept. Fearlessly
she peeped out, quickly she darted TO
the door of the poor house. now poorer
chan ever, and opening it admitted
worn, starving. ragged soldier, who,
once he had reached shelter, needed the
assistance of her arms to guide him in.
1t was Allen-detailed for scout, he
had been pursued by Union cavalry,
and, boy-like, yearning to see those he
loved, had used his knowledge of By
paths and sought his home and those he
knew would shelter him, hap what
might. Tenderly he was cared for,
and cried over, and fed and doctorcd
as best the sister and mother could
with the few simplcs at their command.
Then he was hidden in little unused
loft under the roof. and all was quiet
Half mic away, sitting head In
hands, by the bedside of the mother to
whom he was SO devoted, was Dugal,
THAT Coward" But though the body
of his parent lay within his reach, her
spirit had fed not an hour before. The
poor woman had bravely borne up
against the ill-rcpute of her son and the
neglect OK her former friends, but hard
work and the quiet inward suffering of
sounded pride had worn her out at
last, and at the last only had she
seemed to fully understand L0w and